Macromolecules carrying a readily polymerizable headgroup on a polymerization-inactive chain have been demonstrated to yield valuable macromolecular monomers. These macromolecular monomers, abbreviated in the art to macromers, may copolymerize with conventional monomers to produce graft copolymers. This method of macromer copolymerization has been described by the following reaction: ##STR1##
To the knowledge of the inventors, the production of macromers by direct one-step synthesis has been mainly through use of an anionic mechanism such as that disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,989,768; 3,879,494; 3,786,116; and 3,832,423. Various disclosures in the art are found in Volume 101 Makromolecular Chemistry 104 (1967), Journal of Paint Technology 46, 596, 16 (1974), Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 14, 167 (1970), and Polymer Bulletin 1, 575-580. (1979).
The production of macromers using anionic techniques neglects many monomers which can be synthesized by carbocationic techniques. Therefore, the need exists for a reaction system to synthesize macromers from cationically polymerizable monomers, useful in macromer copolymerization to form graft copolymers.